Pharmacies & medicine in the Netherlands

Whether you’ve got a headache, a cold, or need to fill a prescription from your general practitioner (GP), there are lots of options for buying medicines in the Netherlands. This page looks at both pharmacies and drugstores, what kinds of medicines you can find in each, and explains how to get prescription medication. 

How to buy medicines in the Netherlands

There are four different ways you can buy medicines in the Netherlands:

• From a pharmacy (apotheek)
• From a chemist or drugstore (drogist)
• From a supermarket or other retailer
• Over the internet

The class of drug determines where it can be sold:

• Prescription drugs can only be dispensed by a pharmacist at a pharmacy
• Over-the-counter drugs can be purchased at a pharmacy, or at another retailer like a drugstore or a supermarket, depending on the type of medication

Prescriptions in the Netherlands

If you receive a prescription (recept) from your GP, you will need to go to a pharmacy to pick up your medication. Only pharmacists can sell prescription medication in the Netherlands. 

If it is your first time at the pharmacy, you will need to provide the details of your health insurance and your GP.

You can also choose to register with your local pharmacy. Registering with a regular pharmacy (by giving them your contact details and information about your health insurance) provides several benefits. For instance, your GP may be able to email your prescription directly to the pharmacy, so you can simply pick up your medicine when you are ready. As they have a record of your prescription history, it gives the pharmacist the ability to check that you haven’t been prescribed conflicting medicines.

Find your local pharmacy (apotheek)

You can use the apotheek.nl website to find your local pharmacy. Simply enter your postcode or city to bring up a list of options. 

How to get your prescription

To pick up your prescription medication, take your paper prescription to the pharmacist, and they will dispense the medicine. You can take your prescription to any pharmacy, not necessarily the one closest to you or to your GP’s office.

Alternatively, some pharmacies can deliver medications to your home free of charge, while others also offer secure pick-up boxes accessible with a key, so you can retrieve prescriptions after hours. Many GPs also have a message service where you can order repeats of ongoing prescription medicine, which you can collect from your pharmacy the next day.

Are prescriptions free in the Netherlands?

While basic health insurance covers the cost of many medications, prescriptions aren’t always entirely free in the Netherlands. The price you pay for your prescription depends on two things: 

• The cost of the medicine
• The pharmacy service charge

The system for working out the cost of a medicine is a little complicated, because health insurers work together with pharmacists to set prices. This means that the cost of each drug depends on your health insurer, your insurance policy, and your pharmacist. A pharmacy might charge different prices for the same drug to different patients, depending on their insurer. For some drugs, you might have to pay a personal contribution.

You can use the website Medicijnkosten.nl (in Dutch) to find out whether a medicine is covered by basic health insurance in the Netherlands, how much of the cost will be deducted from your eigen risico (mandatory excess), whether you will have to pay part of the cost (co-payment), and if a cheaper alternative is available that your insurance would cover in full. 

On top of this, your pharmacist might add on a pharmacy service charge (usually around 7 euros). This is for:

• Checking that the prescription is the correct unit dose and dosage
• Checking whether the medicine could interact with any other medications you are taking
• Dispensing the medicine
• Explaining how the medicine should be used

Service charges vary from pharmacy to pharmacy and according to the time of day. For instance, the service charge might be higher if medicines are dispensed outside regular office hours. Service charges are usually higher the first time a medicine is dispensed to a patient. 

Paying for your prescription

If the pharmacy you use is registered with your particular insurance scheme, you generally won't have to pay upfront for the medicine (although that depends on the particular prescription and your policy). Instead, they will send the bill directly to your health insurer. 

However, if they are not registered, then you will have to pay for your prescription yourself. You may be able to get the costs reimbursed by your insurance company at a later date. 

Do Dutch pharmacies accept foreign prescriptions?

In general, no, Dutch pharmacies do not accept foreign prescriptions. While prescriptions issued in the EU are generally accepted, they must meet certain conditions. Non-EU prescriptions may be accepted, but they must first be verified by the pharmacist. It is generally therefore easier to visit a doctor in the Netherlands to get a new prescription. 

Can someone else pick up my prescription? 

Pharmacies typically only dispense prescription medications to the person named on the prescription. However, if you cannot attend the pharmacy yourself and want someone else to pick up your medication, you may be able to authorise this by contacting your chosen pharmacy and providing written consent. 

Can pharmacists prescribe medicines?

While pharmacists can give advice, dispense prescription drugs and suggest over-the-counter medications, they are not generally permitted to prescribe medicines in the Netherlands.

Buying over-the-counter medicines

You can buy many over-the-counter medicines without a prescription in the Netherlands. Over-the-counter drugs are divided into three classes. The class determines which kinds of stores are allowed to sell them. The three classes are:

• UA class: UA (Uitsluitend Apotheek) drugs can only be sold by pharmacies, where staff can explain how to safely and correctly take them. Examples include higher-strength painkillers or packets containing larger quanities of certain drugs.
• UAD class: UAD (Uitsluitend Apotheek en Drogist) drugs can be sold by a pharmacy or a drugstore, where the shop assistant can give you instructions on taking the medication.
• AV class: AV (Algemeen Verkrijgbaar) drugs belong to the general retail class, and can be sold by any retailer like a supermarket or petrol station. This includes drugs like nicotine patches, painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, and some antacids. 

Drugstores in the Netherlands

There are several large chains of drugstores in the Netherlands that are authorised to sell class UAD and AV medications. They also tend to sell a range of other daily essentials like shampoo, toothpaste and skincare products. 

Some of the biggest drugstore chains in the Netherlands are:

• Etos
• Kruidvat
• Trekpleister

Buying medications online

A growing number of online companies also sell medication online in the Netherlands. While this may be a convenient option, there are some unscrupulous sellers out there who sell falsified medications. You should always take steps to ensure you are purchasing medicines from a legal supplier.

The Dutch government provides useful information to help you verify whether a website can be trusted.

Emergency pharmacies

Most pharmacies are open between the hours of 8.30am and 5pm. Outside of these hours, there will be an on-duty pharmacy operating in your area on weekends, public holidays, and overnight. Their contact details will usually be displayed in the window of your regular pharmacy.